Owl Update 4/12/2023

The last few nights have been very eventful, both in challenging and rewarding ways. Those of you familiar with Whitefish Point at this time of the year will know that there is typically still lots of snow, and long stretches of the net lanes still have feet of snow over them. Our trails through the net lanes were in great shape until Sunday night. That night started with temperatures just above freezing, and we could effectively get around on skis and snowshoes. Then, over just a few hours, the temperature climbed 15 degrees, reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Nova was still able to ski, but I was not. Even on my snowshoes, I regularly busted through the snow, instantly plummeting several feet through the snow. Thankfully former WPBO owl bander and waterbird counter Tim Baerwald was here for the night. He lent me his bush skis, which we were unfamiliar with, and I made it through the rest of the night.

The next night, Nova and I started shoveling the trail’s most treacherous parts. We were catching a few owls but had enough time in the first half of the night to clear a few hundred yards of packed snow and ice out of those areas. Literally, the following net check after we had made it safe to get to the nets, the floodgates opened. We caught 85 owls that night, which is among the best nights ever at WPBO, and Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) made up 73 of them. This is one of the highest nightly totals ever for NSWO at WPBO, and we will be surprised if it is not the peak for them this season.

Nova knee-deep in snow as we struggled to maintain efficient access to the net lanes. Photo by Chris Neri

The section of trail cleared just in time for the season’s first real push of owls. Photo by Chris Neri

We weren’t sure what to expect last night, but it produced a decent owl migration, and we could clear a bit more of the net lanes. On a personal note, as the clock struck midnight, it was my birthday. Just 45 minutes later, we caught the first Boreal Owl of the season. I’ve been fortunate enough to be an owl bander at WPBO on 23 of my birthdays, and it has provided me with amazing birthday memories, including this one.

The season’s first Boreal Owl. Photo by Chris Neri

We were also very happy to have Jess Cosentino join the field crew this week as the spring raptor counter and are excited for Alison Világ’s return as the spring waterbird counter in just a few days. It’s an exciting time at the Point right now!

Season Totals to Date of Banded Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 277
Long-eared Owls: 27
Barred Owl: 2
Total owls banded: 307

Season Totals to Date of Recaptured Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 26

~ Chris Neri & Nova Mackentley
2023 Spring Owl Banders